Sidiko
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Episode 4 - Making my way any way that I can!
🕑 Added 2023-08-23 14:01:13 +0000 UTCArticle 14: Rules to Win a Gym Battle
14.1. In a gym battle, the winner is determined by the rules established by the gym leader and approved by the Pokémon League.
14.2. Each gym may establish different types of battles, such as single battles, double battles, or triple battles, each with its own specific rules.
14.3. The rules for winning a gym battle may include conditions such as knocking out all of the opponent's Pokémon, having a certain number of Pokémon remaining on the battlefield, or achieving a certain objective.
14.4. During the gym battle, both trainers must remain in their designated area.
14.4.1. Should a trainer leave his/her designated area, a five second countdown will begin. If the trainer hasn't stepped back inside the area within the stipulated five seconds, said trainer shall be deemed disqualified from the ongoing battle.
14.5. Any trainer found to have violated the rules for winning a gym battle may be disqualified, and their Pokémon will be removed from the battle, leading to an automatic victory for the opposing trainer.
14.6. The Pokémon League may establish additional regulations or guidelines for winning a gym battle.
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I’ve Been Around
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Episode four – Making my way any way that I can!
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For the umpteenth time today, Risa was wondering what the hell she was doing with her life.
The bustling café was easy to spot from the street, with a bright red awning and a cheerful Pikachu cut-out which waved at the pedestrians towering over the entrance.
From out the window, one could only shrink in horror at the awful busyness of the place. Countless children were running around the tables, putting their greasy hands all over the Pikachu-themed posters and artwork which adorned the walls. The floor was a bright yellow, and the ceiling was painted to resemble a sky full of fluffy white clouds. Tables shaped after Pokéballs dotted the room.
At one of these tables sat a forty-seven-year-old man and a teenage girl. The teen popped a fry into her mouth and looked up at the ridiculous sight in front of her. Callahan sat stooped over a map like a medieval alchemist over an alembic. The map was designed with the entertainment of children in mind, with colorful pink and blue lines marking the roads and mountains with eyes that would wiggle if you’d shake the map a little. It was a placemat that came with the happy-meal.
"Alright, so we're here," Callahan said. He pointed to the spot on the map that marked Fula City, the impact of his finger making the wiggle eyes shake. "And we need to get here." He traced a path a bit to the northeast, towards a picture of a Pelipper saying ‘Oceanview City’. Callahan clapped his hands together. “Okay, so here’s the thing! I need to get off this damn island as fast as I can. We’ll pass through the plains, cross the mountain, go through this forest, and then finally get to the city on the shore."
Risa looked up, surprise as well as relief edged on her face. “So we’re not taking any public transport?”
“I wish we could, but I still need to find myself a Pokémon before we head into the Lumina Region. The Pokémon are hostile there, can’t leave the cities without a weapon in hand. Meaning,” he groaned, “we’ll have to find a Pokémon here, so we can protect ourselves there.”
Risa nodded a few times contemplatively while she licked the salt from her fingers. The map had arrows with photos of the scenery. Her eyes fell onto the cartoony-looking mountains which they probably would encounter first.
"The Silver Peaks," she said, tracing a line along a range of jagged mountains. "Let me guess, because of the snow?"
Callahan chuckled. “Look at the picture. It’s a sprawling meadow. There's a few towns along the way. It's called the Silver Peaks because of the mist that surrounds the area."
Risa pointed a finger down the trail. "And what’s this?"
"That's the Lost City. Just some ruined bricks in a forest, nothing too major. We don’t have to go through there, and finally, the city on the shore," Callahan said and pointed to the final destination on the map. "Oceanview City.” Callahan's eyes sparkled as he was just about to burst into a new tale. "It's a major port city, and our ship to the next region will be waiting there. We'll have to hurry if we want to catch it. If things go right, it’ll take us three days. That leaves us with twenty-seven days to go."
Risa nodded, feeling a sense of childlike excitement wash over her before she quickly swallowed it down in order to compose herself, however slightly she could. The journey ahead would be long and challenging, but she was eager to see what lay beyond the horizon. Both figuratively and literally, now that she thought about it.
With one last swallow, Callahan finished his cola and wiped his mouth with his hand. “This part will be a paradise compared to the next, so let’s just say that this is a nice warm-up to get our feet wet. We’ll figure out the route there when we get there. Worrying about it now will only add to our base weight.”
“So what comes next?”
Callahan rubbed his hands excitedly at her question. The girl could only frown nervously.
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Standing proudly before Callahan and Risa, the outfitters shop rose into the orange sky, resembling a colossal Onix that seemed to have come right from the wild. Its exterior exuded a breathtaking charm, with grey walls textured to mimic its rough, stony skin while two windows acted as its watchful eyes, gazing down upon the pedestrians below on this early morning hour.
An exchange of excitement passed between the two companions as they shared each other a look.
“So this is the shop?” asked Risa while she angled her neck all the way back to see the top.
“Yup. This is the place.”
With anticipation rising in their chests, they steered their steps towards the entrance. They passed through a stone tunnel. The soothing sound of flowing water greeted their ears, coming from the gurgling creeks flanking each side of the passageway.
With a dramatic flourish, the automatic doors swung open, unleashing a blast of air conditioning that sent their hair into turmoil.
“Holy!” Momentarily blinded by his locks, Callahan brushed them aside, only to feel his mouth fall agape at what lay before him.
The interior was completely different from the outside. The room was spacious, with a high ceiling adorned with wooden beams. Sunlight streamed through large windows, casting a warm glow on the neatly organized aisles that stretched out before them. The floor was made of polished hardwood, adding a touch of rustic charm to the environment, and the walls were covered with wallpapers of mountains.
As their eyes adjusted to the interior, Callahan and Risa were first captivated by the wall to their right. It was entirely covered by an array of backpacks, each boasting various colors, sizes, features, and even different resistances like against fire and water. Some were designed for long treks in the wilderness, which were tall and bulgy and came with a frame to help it maintain its form, while others were suited for shorter journeys or day hikes, looking more like overpriced gym bags in Callahan's eyes.
To the left, an open area beckoned them. It was adorned with a collection of tents; from small, lightweight tents for solo travellers to spacious family-sized ones. A gentle wind came from an open window and the fluttering fabric of the tents created a symphony of comfortable rustling.
"So, what do we need?" asked Risa as she pocketed her hands.
Callahan retrieved a list he’d made and let it unroll all the way over his boots, paying no mind to the few customers who gave him weird looks as he scanned it over. "Lemme see... We'll need a tent, two mugs, a camping stove, some gas canisters, two backpacks—"
"I already got myself a backpack."
Callahan gave her a wordless glance, thinking back about how badly her backpack had smelled before he eyed back to the list. "Two backpacks, two sleeping bags, two inflatable pillows…"
"Some repel."
"Some repel, space blankets to be sure, first aid kit, sunscreen, instant meals..."
"Ehm, can't we just hunt for food?”
"I know you lived on the streets, Risa, but we're not going to eat rats if that's what you're into."
"I did not eat rats! And besides, I lived in internet cafés, and kept myself clean while I was at it."
"Right. We're not Pokémon trainers, and we're not going to hunt. I didn't spend a dime on anything but stuff for Kellie, so I can afford some food. We'll just send some food packages by mail to every Pokécenter near a gym, no problem." He rolled up the list. "Also need some proper clothes, by the way. You're not going to climb mountains in those sneakers."
With that, they were off. They eagerly wandered through the aisles, their eyes scanning over the shelves in search of the proper goods.
Splitting up, they found the stuff soon enough.
Risa was currently trailing her hands along the line of sleeping bags when footsteps sounded behind her.
"What are you doing?" Risa flinched when the head of Callahan appeared right beside hers.
She exclaimed a little, grasping towards her heart. "How about a little heads-up before you appear with your–"
Callahan cut her off as he fetched the price tag of the one she'd been looking at. "Why are you searching for the cheapests?"
"Well..." Risa rubbed her elbow. "It's not like it's my money, so I don't want to make a dent in your wallet."
"Yeah," Callahan groaned dryly as he headed towards the area to the left. "You're going to choose something from this collection, capisce?"
Risa stood still for a moment before she nodded almost a bit shyly. Then, waiting until he was out of sight, reached for the cheapest one. Almost dryly, two hairy hands appeared again and stowed a different sleeping bag into her hands.
Risa stowed it in her shopping basket, increasing her pace to catch up with him.
He was perched on his tiptoes, his fingers firmly gripping a vibrant yellow backpack hanging from its hanger. With a serious expression, he twirled the backpack in his hands, tossing it up a few times to inspect its weight.
“It’s heavy,” he stated.
“Probably because of the frame? I dunno…”
“Hmpf. They should’ve stuffed some of the fabric with a thin layer of stone if they were making it this impractical. Would’ve made for good protection against water Pokémon.”
“Wait, you don’t know the weaknesses of each type?”
Callahan flinched. “Of course I do.” He put his hands on his hips. “To have you know, I actually used to be a Pokémon professor, I only quit because the pay wasn’t good enough! Grass is good against water, water is good against fire…”
Risa cocked a brow. “Could you name five Pokémon?”
Sweat poured down his face. “But of course. Lemme see… You got Pikachu…”
“Oh my god…”
“M-mew. Mewtwo, Mewthree…” Risa could only stare wide-eyed. “Oh, and Wingull! I like Wingull.”
“…What’s the name of the Pokémon at the front?”
“Hm?”
“The one this building is shaped after. I mean, that should be easy for someone who quit studying Pokémon because the pay wasn’t enough.”
Risa could almost hear his neck creaking as he turned towards a small poster of the rock Pokémon on a pillar with its name written on it, before he turned nervously back at her with a toothy smile frozen in place. “Onix.”
“…Well, you know what they say: it’s about the journey, not the destination.”
“Oh come on, it’ll be fine. You had a lot of sailors who took down giant whales and those folks couldn’t even read!”
“Wailords.”
“Yes, that one!”
Risa rolled her eyes, wondering why she still wanted to go on with this trip when their attention was suddenly caught by a tent perched in the distance.
They gave each other a look, before they went to inspect it.
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The morning unfolded with surprising ease. Sporting their new backpacks, they embarked on a quick detour to Callahan's apartment. In a flash, he retrieved an assortment of essentials: clothes, underwear, and even a pair of sturdy trekking poles he had tucked away from his skiing days (or better said, Kellie’s skiing days).
The thought of indulging in one last shower enticed him greatly, especially after he let himself be soaked in the rain earlier today. However, a flicker of embarrassment crept into his mind when he reminded himself of the teenage girl sitting in his living room. With a sigh, he dismissed the idea, instead opting to stuff some more clothes into his backpack.
Meanwhile, Risa eagerly changed into her new outfit within the confines of Callahan's bathroom. She’d opted to buy some proper hiking clothes at the insistence of Callahan. She’d intended to simply don her usual torn jeans and hoodie, but after realizing how warm it could get, and thinking about the rain and wind they would experience, she decided to buy windproof pants which could be zipped in two around her knees. It was perfect for both hot and cold weather. And it was waterproof as well.
Once both were suitably attired, they sat down in the living room and divided the equipment between their backpacks. With a final glance around the apartment, Callahan locked the door behind him, giving it a few tender pats before he halted in front his flat and took a deep breath.
“Guys, I’ll be off!!”
Hundreds of elderly men shot up in their beds as if struck by lightning, all groaning and panting panickily while grasping towards their dicky-tickers at the sudden shout.
Ten heads popped out of windows, canes at the ready as a rainbow of insults came his way. They probably wouldn’t mind his absence. Risa gawked at Callahan, comically surprised by how unfazed the guy looked as he kept smiling while waving at them, as if they were throwing roses at him instead of sticks and death threats.
Naturally, he had to make it a dramatic exit.
And speaking of a dramatic exit…
A few moments later, Callahan found himself in a very familiar building.
Callahan strolled through the office, humming to himself as he walked. Suddenly, he started singing.
"I hate my job, it's such a bore, I'd rather be out exploring more." He continued singing as he walked through the cubicles, the sound of his voice echoing through the office.
People looked up from their work, surprised to hear someone singing in the office. Some smiled, enjoying the melody, while others scowled and shook their heads. But Callahan didn't care, he just kept on singing.
"My boss is a tyrant, he's always around, watching my every move, like a bloodhound," he sang, twirling around in a circle. A few people chuckled, but most just continued with their work.
Callahan walked towards the break room, still singing at the top of his lungs as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "The coffee's stale and the donuts are dry, it's enough to make anyone cry."
As he walked out of the break room, he continued to sing. "But alas, I'm stuck here for eight hours straight, counting down the minutes, it's like a cruel fate."
"But hey, I can't take it anymore, I don't think I'm gonna work for this jerk anymore!" He started to march towards his boss' office. People stared at him, wondering what was going on. Callahan threw open the door to his boss' office and sang, "I quit! I can't take this job anymore, it's driving me insane!"
His boss looked up, surprised. "What's going on, Callahan?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, boss, but I'm tired of this place—I'm tired of this race! I want to do something that makes me happy, something that puts a smile on my face," Callahan sang, pointing his finger at his cheeks.
The boss started to laugh, thinking it was all a joke. But Callahan was serious.
"I'm sorry, Callahan, but we need you here. You can't just quit."
Callahan stopped singing, his smile maintaining in place. “Well,” he said, “how about you bury me upside down, then you’ve got something to park your bike into.”
“What the–”
With that, Callahan turned around and walked out of the office, his boss calling after him. He halted in front of his desk, pushed his office plant Herbert into Carl’s hands, patted him on the shoulder, and threw all the breadcrumbs he had stored in his drawer out the window. With the picture of Kellie in hand, having collected everything he had, Callahan smiled and ran down the stairwell, feeling free for the first time in a long time.
Risa was waiting outside. Her eyes widened and her jaw slackened as she stared at the picture in his hand. “You actually quit your job.”
“Told you I would.”
“Yeah, you told me you would, but wouldn’t it be better to just call in sick for a month?”
“Why would I work at this dump if I soon have all the money in the world after winning the League?”
Risa comically massaged her brow. Callahan didn’t even notice as he passed her and tossed the picture a few times up in his hand.
“So what’s next?”
He looked around.
Bathed in the light of the rising sun, the girl’s hair was being caressed by the wind, her shadow stretching across the street towards him. It only dawned on him then how serious his actions were, and he closed his eyes for a moment to prepare himself before he finally opened them again and gave her a look.
“I still got one person I need to say goodbye to.”
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The sunrise trickled down gently over Callahan’s shoulders as he made his way through the winding path leading to his sister's house. The damp air clung to his skin, painting every inch of his face with moisture. The weight of his decision settled on his shoulders, both exhilarating and daunting.
As he rounded a corner and neared the house, the sound of water splashing reached his ears. Curiosity piqued, Callahan quickened his pace, and through the shimmering sunrays, he caught a glimpse of his sister moving gracefully amidst the spray of sprinklers. She deftly turned on the last one while dodging each burst of water with the grace of a ballerina, her laughter floating in the air like a melody.
With a final leap, Mia caught sight of him and halted before him, her eyes alight with joy and freshness. Droplets clung to her purple hair. She reached out and flicked a water droplet from her face, causing it to land on the asphalt.
"Callahan!" she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with delight. "What a surprise! You've caught me in the middle of my watery ballet."
A smile tugged at the corners of Callahan's lips, though it slipped down at the weight of the impending conversation. He looked into her eyes.
“Is Kellie at school?”
“You know she is. What’s up?” Her smile faltered slightly when she noticed the backpack which he lowered onto the doorstep. Confused, she raised her eyebrows, but Callahan had quickly shifted his expression to a bright one.
He had wondered the entire night how he could explain his choice of action to his sister, and these sophisticated words were the only way he knew how.
“Ta-dah!”
He pointed towards the backpack with an enormous toothy smile on his face. It was so big that it seemed to strain him to keep it up.
Mia couldn’t believe what was happening. “What?”
“You heard me yesterday. I’m going to the Pokémon League in the Lumina Region.”
Her eyes widened. The rhythm of the sprinklers continued unabated, a stark contrast to the seriousness in the air.
The sister couldn’t help herself from sounding like a broken record. “What? W-why? When?”
“Right now. Already ready to go.”
Mia kept still for a moment before she directed her attention over his shoulder at someone else. He wasn’t the only one rocking a backpack, after all. “Who is that?”
Callahan followed Mia’s gaze and watched over his shoulder. Risa stood waiting for him against a streetlamp, swinging back and forth on the back of her boots. Swaying like that, she almost seemed a little lost. Her greyish climbing pants glittered in the sun, and the breeze that danced through the street wafted her hair through the air, revealing the four earrings that lined her ear. Donning an uppercut on top of all that, yeah, she really did a good job at making people avoid her.
“That? Oh, that’s…” Callahan scratched through his hair before he sighed in resignation. “That’s my partner. She’ll be coming with me.”
“Partner?”
“Yeah, my sidekick, companion—whatever you wanna call it. I mean, she might not look it, but she’s—”
“Callahan! That girl is fifteen at most, what the hell are you doing?! Someone like that should still be at school! What are you thinking?!”
“Weeellll, you see, there’s this kid called Ash Ketchum who saw plenty of the world when he was only ten years old—”
“Yes, and you know what he also is? A legend that we tell our kids before they go to bed. Callahan, you need licenses if you want to own special-type Pokémon. You know that! How are you going to protect yourself, not to mention win the Champions League when you…? Just…” The sister sighed, rubbing her brow. Her shoulders were hoisted all the way to her cheekbones, her posture tense beyond belief. “You can just tell Kellie. This isn’t worth risking your life for. She’s just eight years old. She’ll understand.”
“I’m not doing this for her.”
“Callahan…”
“All I’ve been doing is lying. I never made anything out of myself. I never tried anything. This… this might just be what I need. No, this is what I need! It’ll be alright, Mia. I’ll call you as soon as I reach the region, alright? I’ll call you at every possible spot.”
“Is this about Mark?”
“What? No.”
“I think it is.”
“No, no, no, no. It’s not about him,” Callahan stressed as he raised his hands as a gesture of forfeit.
“Callahan, he’s not taking your place.”
Well, at least it’s good to know that lying runs in the family. “I know that. I know. Sis, I need you to stay calm, but I already quit my job.” Her eyes became the size of dinner plates. “Look at this logically. If I become the champion, then I get all the money in the world. Not to mention the fame I’ll get from all the interviews! I’ll get merchandise, plushies—you might even see my face quicker on a mug than you even see it on TV! I can do this, Sis.”
“…Promise me that this isn’t your way of getting back at me.”
“I promise.”
Mia bit her lip, her hair casting her downcast eyes in shadows. “Well, we both know how meaningless that is coming from you.”
A silence fell. Only the sprinklers splattered on.
“There’s nothing I can do to stop you, is there?”
“She’s waiting. I’m going to call you as soon as I can. Once the Champion League kicks off, grab yourself some popcorn and plop in front of the TV because that's when I'll make my grand entrance! Picture this: I'll be standing on a glorious stage, trophy in hand, and my phone will be ringing off the hook from all the sponsorship deals I’ll be receiving!” He chuckled a little as his excitement shimmered down, a confident smile making its way onto his lips. “I’m not going to take a single step back. I’ll keep going on, until I’m at the top.”
With that, he turned around and smirked at the rebel. The rebel took note and formed her lips into a weak lopsided smile. He took the first few steps toward the outskirts of the city, and Risa followed; slowly but surely stepping their way into a grand adventure.
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And there they go, onto their adventure! Strap on your backpacks, boys and girls, because we’re going on a journey!
Also, for those wondering, the Fula Region is only a small island, and since the region is so safe there’s no need to construct actual gyms. (The lore behind gyms will be revealed later as to not bombard you with lore. I’ll be going for a more realistic take on the world.)
